You might be of the opinion that all health insurance agents are created equal and it doesn’t matter what type of agent you choose.  I’d like to share the three most important reasons that you might want to consider when making a decision on who you’d like to help you with your health care decisions.

1. Selection – While a “captured” agent is only able to offer health insurance plans from the one carrier they work for, an independent agent has no such limitations. As an independent health insurance agent, I am contracted and appointed to work with a variety of insurance companies. This gives you the benefit of comparing plans and rates from all of the top health insurance providers and choosing options that work best for your personal needs that also can be tailored to fit your budget.

2. Objectivity – When an agent is only able to offer a limited selection of health insurance plans offered by their company, their job is to highlight benefits that his company offers while ignoring explaining any of the drawbacks of the plan.  This is totally understandable when an agent receives compensation only when he sells health plans within the company portfolio.  As an independent agent, I do not have those constraints and it is my job to show you the pros and cons for a variety of plan options.  I take that responsibility very seriously and strive to offer you a totally objective view of your options and help guide you to make the right decision for your particular situation.

3. Relationship – As an independent health insurance agent I can be a much more valuable long term resource than an agent that is affiliated with only one insurance company. If you could be best served by changing health insurance companies to find a lower rate, select different benefits, or simply needs to adjust coverage because your health insurance needs have changed over time, I am always happy to continue to be of service to help you select a new plan and/or company. The length and depth of the client-agent relationship has a much greater chance to grow when you work with someone who works with you continually, and at a minimum, conducts annual policy reviews with you to make sure you are with the right plan that best suits your needs.